The B'nai B'rith Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC) in Australia, condemned in the strongest possible terms the statement appearing on the Australian Jewish Democratic Society's website last week.

The ADC was joined in its condemnation by the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV), and the stance was covered by J-Wire, a website devoted to Jewish news in Australia, New Zealand and the global community.

Both organisations sharply criticised the total lack of balance and disregard for facts in the statement that paints a simplistic and one-sided picture of what is an extremely complex situation. The ADC and JCCV also denounced the AJDS’ analysis of cause and effect that bears no relationship to the facts on the ground.[...]

Chairman of the ADC Dr. Dvir Abramovich and President of the JCCV Nina Bassat issued the following statement:“All people of goodwill are deeply saddened by the loss of life on both sides of the current conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, but the progress towards peace can only be hindered by statements which totally lack balance, such as that of the AJDS.

"Sadly, the now common reckless and eager rush to condemn Israel is represented by the skewed and outrageous statement of the AJDS, which zealously attacks and accuses the IDF of a massacre without any facts or evidence. It is a pity that the ADJS keeps choosing to engage in a relentless campaign of propaganda in their continuous bashing of Israel."What is as disturbing as the absence of substantiated data is the inflammatory and pejorative language used in the statement.

Given the world-wide conflation between anti-Israel feelings and anti- Semitism, highly emotive words such as perpetrated and massacre are calculated to arouse anger against not only Israel, but the Jewish community in Australia and are a willful disregard that language such as this destroys the harmonious nature of our multicultural society.